AJ Gruttadauro, a 2016 Brockport High School graduate, competed with the US Race Walk Team at the 2018 IAAF World Race Walking Team Championship held May 5 and 6 in Taicang, China.
Beginning in 7th grade, AJ was very active with the Brockport High School track team where he competed in cross-country, long distance running and steeple.
AJ was first introduced to race walking when he participated in an invitational at Brockport College in 2015. According to his mom, Sharon, AJ was motivated to compete in this event because the school had no prior record for this type of competition. AJ wanted to be the first to trail blaze the sport for Brockport High School and have the very first record, a goal he accomplished.
Race walking was very different for AJ. As primarily a distance runner, AJ found the rules of the sport challenging. Speeding up to a running gait, or becoming airborne for a second can be a disqualification in race walking. Initially he self-taught by watching videos on YouTube to learn the technique. He eventually began working with a coach who specializes in race walking, Erin Taylor-Talcot of Owego, New York. Erin helped coach AJ as he qualified for the New Balance Nationals Outdoor in 2015 and then again in 2016 with the New Balance Indoor/Outdoor event. The training and competing led AJ to qualify for the USA Track Field Junior Team and to compete in championships for the World Race in Rome, Italy in 2016 and then in the USA/Canada competition.
AJ currently attends West Virginia University as a History major where he trains and competes in race walking on the WVU Race walk team. AJ underwent vigorous training for the very competitive IAAF world event while wrapping up his last semester at college, and preparing for and taking his finals in advance.
AJ’s WVT coaches, Jeremy Bloom and Bruce Cox, helped him train for the NAIA competition, and also helped him prepare for the trip to China.
AJ had the ultimate experience in his young race walking career at the IAAF World Race Walking Championship when he completed a 50km event and was the first USA competitor to cross the finish line with his best time of 4 hours 16 minutes and 23 seconds. “This reflects a 13 minute, 10 second improvement from his previous best. I am a proud Mama,” exclaimed AJ’s mom, Sharon.
The Gruttadauro family watched AJ compete in China on NBC Gold Watch. They look forward to having him back home in Brockport on Memorial Day weekend.
